When The Earth Began To Tremble (discontinued)
by Galaxy of Stolen Memories
Summary: Blossom has lived alone in the city all her life. She's fine with that; she likes it that way. But then the ground began to shake. Tremors rocked through the city. And then the big one came, the earthquake. Soon, Blossom finds herself in the middle of an all-out war between two sides. Nothing will ever be the same. And it all started when the earth began to tremble.
1. Quake

Blossom braced herself as the ground rumbled and shook. The sound of thunder filled her ears, making her flinch. _When will this stop? _ It seemed to go on forever, the loud roar as high buildings swayed and weakened.

Eventually, the roaring died down, leaving Blossom staring down at the stone. She was standing in a small alley. Blossom let out a sigh, lifting her head. She took in the tall buildings and the sound of panicked humans. Shiny cars were rushing loudly down the street. Blossom's heart beat frantically. _Calm down, _she thought. _It's not going to happen for a while now._

Blossom padded forwards cautiously, pricking her ears for danger. Cats had been under a lot of stress lately, and stress could change others dramatically. Now the city-dwelling cats were more likely to attack her, a lonely alley cat.

As she peered out from the corner of the alley, Blossom thought about the recent tremor. It had been worse than the others. But then again, they had all gradually become more and more violent, not to mention more frequent.

Worry gnawed at her, and she glanced up at the sky. The sun had reached its peak, and was sinking down in the sky. Blossom's heart skipped a beat as the earth rumbled again. But this time it was only a gentle tremor.

She studied the humans. They seemed to be fleeing the colossal city. Blossom frowned, wondering why they would leave their homes. Perhaps they knew that the rumbling earth would only become more violent. She shuddered, stepping back into her dark alley, keeping her gaze fixed on the bright cars that prowled by as she backed up.

If the humans couldn't stop this, what could? Maybe the world was going to shake until it crumbled into tiny shards. Fear rose up inside Blossom. Although there was nothing special to her life, she didn't want it to end. _Not like this…_

Her cream-coloured ears flattened as another cat hurried past the entrance of the alley. It paused, turning, as it caught her scent. Blossom let out a hiss, unsheathing her claws. The cat's eyes flashed.

"Blossom!" it called. She recognised the cat instantly. It was her kittenhood friend, Patch.

"Oh, it's just you," she meowed, straightening up. Patch turned and trotted up to her, and she slid her claws away. Blossom felt the familiar sense of comfort as she looked at one of her only friends. Patch had always been there for her when she was younger.

He still looked the same, with his chocolate-brown fur and the snowy white patch around his left eye. His green eyes still held that friendliness and care that they always had.

"What do you think of the tremors?" he asked worriedly. Blossom didn't look at him as she answered, keeping her gaze fixed on the cars passing by.

"I'm worried, as is every other cat in the city. And the humans, quite possibly their dogs too," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

"You don't fool me, Bloss," Patch meowed gently. "It's true, we're all worried. And after this, I'm not sure that anything will be the same again."

Blossom shook her head, feeling a strange tingle as he used her nickname. No one used her nickname, not anymore. "We can only hope for the best," she meowed, finally fixing her bright green gaze on him.

Patch nodded. "I'd best be off," he whispered. "Take care." Blossom dipped her head in farewell, watching him trot out of the alley. She sighed, wondering what to do.

Blossom padded to the back of the alley. It was a dead end, of course, so that she couldn't be taken by surprise from the back. She lay down, curling her tail over her nose. Hoping for a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep, she let herself drift off.

-o0o-

Blossom raised her head, blinking sleepily. She pricked her ears, trying to get her bearings. As she gazed out of the alley entrance, she noticed that there weren't as many cars leaving before. But she could still hear humans.

Blossom noticed with slight alarm that the ground was trembling again; rumbling as if something massive was approaching. Normally, the tremors only happened once each day, as they had for the past quarter moon. But today, there had been two. She decided to stay where she was, as it was unlikely that the alley would collapse if the tremor became more violent.

Fear rose again inside her, making her fur prickle and her tail lash. Blossom knew that eventually, the tremors would become even more destructive. They might even manage to topple a human building, one of the structures that looked like it touched the sky.

The ground was only rumbling slightly, as if the earth was shivering. The sun was lowering towards the horizon, turning the sky colourful shades of pink, amber and red. The tall human buildings were silhouetted against the sunset, looming in front of her. As Blossom gazed up at them, she couldn't imagine them crumbling to the ground.

The tremor still hadn't stopped. They didn't normally go for this long, and Blossom was worrying. She realized that it was only becoming more violent. Normally at this time of the evening, the human buildings lit up, unnatural light streaming from the tall windows. But on this fateful night, they were as dark as night.

The ground began to shake violently. Blossom knew that this was it, this was the big one. She quickly rose to her paws and stumbled to the back of the alley. She pressed against it, hoping that she would be safe. A roaring noise filled her ears, and she flattened them to her head. Blossom turned to look out of the alley entrance.

She watched fearfully as the sky-touchers swayed, outlined against the fiery sunset. Little rocks seemed to be jumping on the ground. Nothing bad seemed to have happened yet.

That was when she heard it; thunderous crash, seemingly right behind her. Blossom jumped backwards from the wall, and backed away, keeping her green gaze fixed on the alley wall.

The wails of distressed humans filled the air. Blossom remembered in horror that she had been able to see a distant sky-toucher rising behind the alley. There was nothing there now.

_The quake toppled a sky-toucher already! _Blossom thought, horrified. Shaking her pelt, she tried to walk back to the alley wall. But she was knocked onto her side by the quaking earth. And it was a good thing. The dead end, the wall that Blossom had thought was so secure, crumbled downwards in a rain of stone and bricks.

She let out a cry, struggling to her paws and backing away. That wall had protected her for two years, and a simple movement of the earth had sent it crumbling down. Blossom began to panic, racing out onto the street. She let out a wild yowl as a car came tearing towards her.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she stumbled onto the other side of the road. Blossom's fur ruffled as the car sped past. She opened her eyes; then started to stumble along the path. There were trees lining the road; shaking dangerously. She was terrified.

_The city is being destroyed. I have lived in it all of my life, and now it's tumbling down. _She looked around, trying to find a safe place and stay on her paws as she was violently jostled. One of the sky-touchers she was looking at before the quake began was swaying perilously. In shock, Blossom watched as it leaned to the side, seemingly hanging there. Then there was an uproarious crash.

The building cracked in two; and fell to the ground in pieces of rubble. Blossom started to shake. Humans were running around wildly, and she could see cats panicking too. The peaceful city was in chaos, and the sun was spilling blood red rays across the scene.

Something barrelled into her, sending her tumbling onto the ground. Blossom turned with a hiss, to see a small grey tabby looking bewildered, staring at her with wide blue eyes.

"Go!" Blossom hissed, baring her fangs. The tabby let out a squeak and scrambled to his paws, pelting away along the cracking footpath. Blossom just stood there, miserably watching her world come crashing down.

-o0o-

The loud roar had died down slightly. Blossom was cowering on the footpath, with her paws over her ears. She could just hear the faint meows of terrified cats nearby. Blossom raised her head, looking around. The city had been reduced to debris. Plumes of dust and smoke rose from the places where there used to be magnificent structures.

The sun had disappeared for the night, and Blossom wouldn't be surprised if it didn't rise again after what it had just witnessed. _How does it keep going? _Blossom wondered miserably. _I know that I wouldn't, not if I had seen such things. _

She wasn't sure how long it had been, but the thundering roar had finally stopped. Blossom could stand up without the fear of being toppled like a sky-toucher. The question had been bugging her since the earthquake started.

_What do I do now? _

She didn't have a home, and she was all alone. Blossom didn't have anyone to care for her while she mentally recovered from the horrific experience. _Except… Patch! _

Blossom was fragile. Not in the physical way, no, she could fight off three cats at once. Or so she liked to think. But it was in the mental way that she was fragile. It was hard for her to recover when something bad happened, harder than normal cats found it.

And now her mind had managed to think of something. She had to find Patch. He would take care of her, he would help her.

Blossom padded wearily down the street, gazing around at the aftermath of the earthquake. She still couldn't believe what had happened to the city as she took in the piles of debris. The smell of death hung heavily in the air as the moonlight shone down. She felt numb, and tried to think of something to take her stunned mind off the current situation.

_I don't know how the moon does it either, _Blossom thought, wondering if Patch had gone this way. She scented the air, trying to distinguish his scent. _I mean, it must be so horrible to watch death at work every day. I think I'd be more like the moon, cold and dim instead of warm and bright. _

She caught a faint trace of Patch's fading scent. Blossom sped up her pace, hurrying along the cracked path. There were wide cracks in the road too. Desperation rose inside her as she started to run. Something felt wrong, more wrong than the ruined city.

Blossom wondered how Patch's scent was still distinguishable through the dust and death. But she didn't really care; it was just another thing for her mind to think of.

Her heart lifted as she saw a familiar human house ahead. Patch had moved into the abandoned building when humans had moved out around a year ago. But Blossom's joy was tainted as she saw that the house was in ruins. Half of the roof had caved in, bringing down some of the walls too.

"Patch?" she whispered. She realized that he wouldn't be able to hear her yet, so she trotted closer. She called his name. There was no reply, only the faint noise from burning houses and panicking humans in the background.

"Patch," Blossom meowed more firmly. "Stop playing around, it's not funny." A shiver ran down her spine. _What if he's not playing around? _

She nosed her way into the rubble. Patch's scent was stronger here. _He's in this building, _Blossom thought as she squeezed through a gap in the wall. She gazed around nervously, her fur fluffing up. She hadn't been in a human dwelling for around a year.

Blossom took in the shattered decorations on the floor, wincing as a sharp piece of glass grazed her pad. _Where is he?_

Her gaze brushed past the caved in roof, where moonlight was spiling through the gap. But her head snapped back when she saw his body.

"Patch!" she yowled desperately. "Patch!" Blossom darted over to his motionless body. "Wake up!" She placed her paws on his shoulders as his back was to her, shaking him roughly. Terror flooded through her. It looked like he had been hit by a falling piece of the roof. Blossom grabbed him by the scruff and hauled him away from the mess.

Her blood ran cold and her heart froze when she saw his glazed green eyes staring sightlessly into the distance.


	2. What Now?

When The Earth Began To Tremble

"N-no! Patch!" Blossom whispered, staring at him. Her heart felt like it had cracked in two. Sadness hung around her like mist. "Y-you…" A hot tear ran down her face, dripping onto the dusty floor with a dull noise. "Y-you said that… you'd l-look after me," she whispered.

She dropped onto the ground next to his lifeless body, sobbing. Patch had been her only friend. Blossom pushed her nose into his cooling fur. "N-no. No, no, no," she sniffed, staring into his chocolate-brown fur.

Her whole body felt numb with shock, horror and misery. She wasn't sure how many heartbeats passed, but she eventually pulled herself up into a sitting position as dawn light spilled through the hole in the roof.

"I'll never forget you, Patch," she murmured, licking his ears for the last time. "You meant so much to me." Blossom grabbed him by the scruff, carefully dragging him across the damaged floor. She stopped as she reached the garden outside. She scanned the area, having a flash of insight. She remembered where she had seen him the most, underneath a brightly flowering bush with a strong scent. He seemed to like it there.

Blossom picked up his body again, the weight hurt her neck. She still felt numb. Through her haze, she could hear wails of cats and a few humans. As she reached the bush, she wrinkled her nose at the heady scent. It was a nice scent however, and reminded her strongly of Patch.

Blossom laid her friend's cold body on the soft grass; then turned to the bush. Using a grey paw, she parted the branches and stepped inside. The smell of the orange flowers made her head spin slightly. Using her claws, Blossom started to dig a grave for her kittenhood friend. More hot tears ran down her face, making the earth slightly damp.

She remembered how the very same earth had shaken so violently just the night before. Blossom stared down at the hole in the earth; then backed out of the bush. She gazed at Patch's body for a moment, her tail drooping. Then she padded forward to grab his body in her jaws.

Sadly, she placed his limp body in the hole underneath the bush. Then she began the tedious task of filling in the hole. Blossom's eyes drooped with weariness, but she couldn't bring herself to have a nap after she finished burying Patch. Eventually, nothing remained of the hole. Blossom reached up with her paw and pulled an amber flower from the leafy green bush.

With her heart shattering, she placed the flower on his grave. "Goodbye," she whispered. "I will never forget you." More tears streamed down her face. Patch had been close to her, they had tried to see each other at least once a week. While they were kits, they played with each other every day. Those days of her life were filled with happiness.

Letting out a final sob, Blossom backed away from the grave. Maybe she would visit it again later. She wondered what to do next. Nothing seemed worth it. Finally, she decided to look around the city and see how things were going after the quake. She sighed, turning and walking out of the garden, leaving her best friend behind forever.

Blossom trotted out onto the cracked street. She still couldn't believe that it had cracked from the force of the quake. She knew that humans could build strong, strong structures. But as she gazed around, she realized that maybe they weren't as strong as every cat thought.

She sighed, feeling sadness settle deep inside her. She wasn't sure how long it would stay there, and now there was no one to take it away. The thought made Blossom feel even more depressed, and the dilapidated buildings lining the road didn't help.

The city was like an alien place now. Before the earthquake, the streets had held some degree of familiarity. But not anymore, now they seemed threatening and miserable. As she gazed around, Blossom saw the flitting shapes of cats darting here and there. There were no human around, and the only sounds that could be heard were the wailing of cats and crackling of burning buildings.

Blossom wondered where the humans had gone. She knew that they would come back, but she didn't know when. It wouldn't be that long. And what was going to happen to the cats?

The thoughts swirled through her mind as she made her way through the city. She gave a little cough as she breathed in some smoke. The cats were most likely going to try and stake a claim for the city. Maybe it would turn into a war. Blossom shuddered. When she was younger, her mother had told her stories of the Great War that had gripped the city a long time ago.

Her mother had said that Blossom's grandmother was part of the war. Apparently, the war had started over a small section of the city. When one of the sides failed to claim it, they moved onto other parts, until it was a deadly battle for control. Blossom shuddered at the thought of that happening. She only wanted to live her life quietly and alone. What would she do if she was forced to take sides?

The sun had almost reached its peak, hanging brightly in the sky. Blossom glanced up at it, before squinting and quickly looking away. Her mother had warned her not to gaze at the sun, as she had known a cat that had too often, and was blind. Her mother had warned Blossom of many things, preparing her daughter for life.

And many of her warnings had been helpful. Blossom's mother was shy and quiet, but kind and caring. Maybe that had reflected onto Blossom's personality too. She gave a little sigh, pausing for a moment to check her pads. The skin on the bottom of her paws was hard from living in the city, but small stones from the quake were proving painful.

She gave one of her paws a lick, wrinkling her nose at the taste. Then Blossom set off again, surveying the damage. She didn't realize that she had nearly reached the alley where she used to live. It was only when she saw the caved-in alley wall that she recognised it.

Slowly, Blossom started to walk towards it; crossing the road without hesitation, as there were no humans or cars around. The rough surface rubbing against her pads made her wince slightly, but she kept going. As she reached the alley, sadness overwhelmed her. Here was the place that she had trusted with her life. Here was the place, one of the only places, that she had felt safe. And now it was ruined. If she tried to stay in there, Blossom would be open to enemies. With tensions in the city rising, that was not a good thing.

There was a large gap in the wall of the alley. It appeared to lead into a human's office. Blossom's mother had been born as a house cat, but had left her home to live on the streets. She often told her daughter about the rooms that had been in her home. This was why Blossom immediately recognised the room as an office. It looked vaguely like what her mother had described, but more modern.

Blossom decided to look inside the office. Maybe there would be a place for her to stay. She doubted it though, she had been very lucky to find the alley. She crept over to the hole and poked her head inside. It was dark and gloomy, and many of the things in the office had toppled over. There was a large green plant in the corner of the office. The air tasted like dust and dampness. A small amount of light streamed through a gap between the blind on the window and the wall. Small chunks of the white walls and ceiling had fallen, but overall, the office was well intact. Blossom sighted a place where she could possibly sleep.

It was behind what her mother had described as a desk. During the quake, part of the desk had caved in, leaving some room inside. Blossom thought it was perfect for a nest. She would have felt success, but all she could feel was the sadness from Patch's death. The floor of the office was not a hard surface. Instead, it was a soft, beige coloured material. But the flooring didn't reach underneath the desk.

Blossom wondered how she could make it softer, and more comfortable. Her gaze rested on the leafy green plant. She trotted over to the plant and grasped one of the thick leaves in her mouth. With a sharp twist of her head, she pulled the leaf free from its plant. It tasted strange, like the scent of humans, but at the same time it tasted like the forest.

From living in the city all her life, Blossom loved plants. This one seemed more forest-like than the spindly bushes she had seen in gardens. It was large and leafy, as well as a deep emerald green. Blossom started to pull off more leaves, until she had a neat pile of them. She ran her paw along one, relishing the smoothness against her pads. All the rubble from the quake had been hard on her paws.

Blossom carried the pile of leaves over to the little desk. She lay the leaves down neatly, creating a small nest. She felt a purr rise inside her at her work, but it was quickly dampened by her loss. She sighed, settling down into her nest. It was comfortable and slightly warm. The events of the day had tired her. Blossom closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

-o0o-

Blossom woke up, raising her head and scanning the office. She wasn't sure how long she had slept for, but the sunlight coming through the window was much weaker now. Blossom rose from her leafy nest and padded over to the window. Her paws felt much better now that she wasn't traipsing through the city.

The window was quite low in the wall. She carefully nosed the blind out of the way. The sun was setting once more, casting its dying rays over the ruined city. Blossom let out a sigh as she gazed out of the window. The sadness that lingered from Patch's death had eased, but she was beginning to think that it would settle there forever.

She became aware, after a few minutes of staring into the window, that her fur was ruffled, dirty and unkempt. With slight embarrassment, Blossom set to grooming herself. She had always been slightly vain towards her fluffy cream-and-grey fur. Eventually, she finished smoothing out the knots and patches that were sticking up.

Blossom's stomach growled with hunger. She decided to go and hunt for some food. The mice that lived in human buildings would have been stirred by the earthquake. It would make hunting easier. She turned and trotted through the hole in the office, frowning slightly. Any cat could get through there; she would need to fix that.

Blossom made her way along the street, hoping that her paws wouldn't start aching again. She carefully crossed over the road. The sun had almost disappeared below the horizon, and the road was dim. She was walking in the opposite direction of Patch's former home. The thought of stumbling onto his burial site made her shudder.

The sun had finally disappeared for the night, plunging the city into darkness. Some fires still burned, and plumes of smoke rose into the air. Blossom couldn't see the stars, which made her feel uncomfortable. Her mother always said that when good cats died, they went to rest among the stars. _Maybe Patch is up there with her now._

The thought saddened her. She still felt slightly numb from the shock of Patch's death. Finally she reached a popular hunting place. It was a large dump, full of human trash. The rubbish had been scattered around during the earthquake. The scents of many cats lingered. Blossom tasted the air for prey. Sure enough, there was a strong smell of mice. Blossom started to stalk forward, ears pricked to search out her food. She heard a scuffling noise and turned her attention towards that.

A large brown mouse came into view, scratching amongst a pile of trash. Blossom crept forward until she was almost right next to the mouse. Then she pounced, killing the mouse with a blow to its spine. Its mouth-watering scent filled her nose, and she ravenously took a bite out of it, relishing the taste on her tongue. Soon there was nothing left but a few bones. Blossom placed her paw on the bones and sent thanks to the stars, as her mother had taught her when she was just a kit.

She stood, glancing up at the sky. The moon had risen, shining brightly down onto the city. Blossom decided to take a different route home to see if she could catch some more prey. If she stayed at the dump and hunted, it might take a while before another mouse appeared, plus there was competition. But if she took a different route home, she could see more of the damage as well as have a better chance of finding food.

Blossom set off again, heading back to her home, but taking a different route. She kept her ears pricked for prey. Patch sprang into her mind again, and she felt the now familiar pang of sadness. She let out a deep sigh, continuing on.

A building loomed in front of her, one that looked even more dilapidated than the others. Large chunks of stone had fallen from the walls and smashed onto the hard ground below, sending shards scattering across the footpath and road. Blossom winced as she thought of what the building would have been like when it was whole.

The strong scent of a young cat reached Blossom's nose, through the scent of her mouse. She frowned, wondering what such a young cat was doing out so late. She started to follow the scent. Blossom didn't know why, but she felt that she needed to. Maybe the cat was in trouble.

Her nose led her to a rather large chunk of stone that had fallen onto the ground. Blossom sniffed it for a moment, before padding behind it. The hairs on her pelt raised in shock as she took in the sight of a young she-cat trapped underneath the stone.

The cat moved slightly, and opened her eyes. They were a dull green, and glazed with pain. The cat seemed to be painfully pinned beneath the stone. The she-cat opened her mouth and croaked,

"Help… me."


	3. I'll Help Yew

When The Earth Began To Tremble

"Please… help me," the young she-cat rasped. Blossom stared at her in shock. She hadn't seen any other cats since the quake. This one must have been here for days.

Then something clicked and she rushed forwards, bracing herself against the large piece of stone. She pushed with all her strength against the grey obstacle, but it didn't budge. Blossom gave up and took a step back. She studied it, frowning slightly.

The moonlight shone down on them, cold and jeering. She felt despair rise inside her. It appeared that the little cat had passed out again, her head on the ground. Blossom glanced around. Maybe there would be someone to help her. But she couldn't leave the cat to die, and she surely would soon. The stone would have broken something when it hit her, and she had been without food or water since the quake.

A flash of movement caught Blossom's eye. She jerked her head towards where she had seen it. A white she-cat stepped out from behind the corner of the building. Her golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, and her white pelt seemed to glow like the moon.

"Help me, please!" pleaded Blossom, keeping her gaze fixed on the she-cat. This cat would probably be her only hope of saving the little cat. The white she-cat came closer, and Blossom could see an expression of kindness on her face.

"Please," Blossom meowed again. To her relief, the new cat nodded and trotted over. When she spoke, it sounded firm, yet kind and caring.

"My name is Lily. What do you want me to do?" she meowed, gazing at the little cat. Blossom swallowed. Lily didn't look that strong. Maybe she wouldn't be able to help.

"This little cat has been trapped underneath the stone since the quake. I can't move it by myself. Can you help me?" Blossom pleaded desperately. "My name is Blossom." Lily looked like she was contemplating her options. To Blossom's relief, she just nodded firmly, walking up to the chunk of stone and bracing her shoulder against it. The moon was still high in the sky.

Blossom did the same, taking care not to stand in a place where she might injure the little cat more. "On three," she growled. Lily just nodded. "One." Blossom braced her paws firmly on the ground, so she wouldn't lose her footing.

"Two." Blossom glanced at Lily, surprised that she had agreed to help out so easily. It didn't seem like the white she-cat had anything to gain.

"Three!" Blossom yowled, pushing against the stone with all her might. She squeezed her eyes shut, using all of her energy to try and move the stone. All of her anger and sadness channelled into her strength, and she pushed even harder. The stone started to move. Blossom opened her eyes. She could see Lily straining against it.

The piece of stone made a grinding sound. Blossom felt some joy at seeing it move from its deadly position. Lily was pushing so hard that she started to growl. Finally, the stone reached its breaking point, where it proceeded to fall onto the ground, setting the little cat free.

Blossom let out a massive sigh, gazing at Lily. "Thank you so much," she meowed. Lily nodded.

"Do you know this cat?" the white she-cat asked. Blossom shook her head at the strange question.

"No, I just saw her and thought I should help," she explained. Lily nodded again. To Blossom's surprise, she saw gratitude flickering in her golden eyes.

"What you did… not many cats around here would do that," Lily began. "Most would just leave her there to die, because they simply couldn't be bothered to try and move the stone. The city needs more cats like you." Blossom was surprised.

"Thank you for helping me," she meowed. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without you." Lily flicked her tail.

"How are you going to get her home?" she purred. "I don't see you carrying her all the way to wherever you live. Would you like me to help you?" Blossom was taken aback. But she couldn't refuse the offer.

"That would be great," she meowed, dipping her head. She couldn't believe it.

Lily dipped her white head. Her pelt seemed to have an aura, due to the moonlight shining on it. Blossom studied the little she-cat. Her left hind leg was twisted and covered in blood, as was some of her pelt.

"Don't jostle her leg," Blossom warned. "It looks like it's broken." Anxiety filled her as she gazed down at the she-cat's leg. What would her fate be, if her leg was broken? She would probably never walk without a limp.

Lily helped lift the cat onto Blossom's back. She barely weighed anything. Lily ducked underneath the cat's leg; then stood to support her injured leg. Blossom pointed with her head to where her den was. Lily nodded slightly to show she understood, and the pair set off along the dark, cold streets of the ruined city.

-o0o-

They arrived back at the alley, and Blossom slightly led the way. She tried her hardest not to jostle the she-cat's leg. Blossom couldn't even imagine what pain she would be in.

Blossom carefully made her way into the abandoned office, over to her nest. Without a second thought, she gently slid the she-cat into her nest.

Blossom turned to Lily. She could feel her back was sticky with blood. "Thank you again. I don't think she would have survived without you. I suppose I'm in your debt now," she meowed quietly.

Lily nodded. "I think… I think that there's a war coming. A war for control of the city. Now that the humans are gone, cats are going to try and take over." Her voice rang with certainty. Blossom felt a slight shiver travel down her spine. She thought that this might happen.

"The humans are going to come back though," Blossom meowed. "Once they claim something, they won't just abandon it."

"That's true," Lily replied. "But before they come back, there will be enough time to fight for control." Blossom shuddered slightly.

"I'm a loner. I don't want to get involved in this." Blossom felt slightly uncomfortable around lots of other cats.

Lily's golden eyes flashed with understanding. "I know. But you might have to. The city won't be a safe place for much longer." She turned to leave.

Blossom nodded slowly. "Well, thank you again. So much," she began. "Can I just ask that you don't tell any cat where I live? It makes me feel… better." Lily nodded in understanding.

"Well, goodbye Blossom. I'm certain we'll see each other again." Lily turned and trotted out of the hole in the wall.

Blossom turned and looked at the she-cat, wondering about Lily. The whole event had taken her mind from Patch's death. It seemed like moons since she found her best friend dead, but in truth it had only been a day.

Blossom wondered what she could do for the cat. She didn't even know her name, and she was a complete stranger. Swallowing her slight revulsion, Blossom lay next to the she-cat and started to groom the blood from her fur.

When she reached her twisted leg, she stopped for a moment. Trying to straighten it out would cause the young cat unbearable pain. Blossom shuddered. She might even _kill _her if she tried to fix something. She would just have to let it mend crookedly, unless she could find some pain relief. The poor young cat would have her life ruined by the one, simple event. Then Blossom remembered how her mother had said that herbs helped cats when they were injured.

Maybe if she could find some herbs, she might be able to help the she-cat. Blossom frowned, seeing a flaw in her plan. What would the she-cat do when she woke up and to find herself all alone? But then again, she wouldn't be able to move over the pain in her leg. Blossom made up her mind. She was going to go and look for herbs in a human's garden. She leaned down towards the cat and meowed softly in her ear,

"I'm just going out for a bit. I'll be back soon." The cat stirred and let out a slight moan, before falling back into unconsciousness. Blossom sighed quietly before rising and trotting out of the room.

The moon was still high in the sky, although it had lowered considerably since Lily had helped Blossom and the young she-cat. The streets were quiet, as they had been after the quake. But tonight they were even quieter; there were no fires, nor eerie wails of cats.

Blossom trotted down the street, keeping a brisk pace. She didn't want to be out alone at night, but she had to help the she-cat. Blossom made sure she checked each garden she passed carefully, with her nose as well as her eyes.

As she walked down the street, her pads began to scrape painfully on the hard surface of the path. Pieces of gravel and rubble caught between her pads, and sometimes she had to stop and pull them out. The moon was still shining, but it had nearly reached the horizon.

Blossom caught a sharp, tangy scent. She guessed that it was a herb, looking around to see where it came from. A small white human house was standing a few fox-lengths away, and the scent of the herb was drifting from it. Blossom trotted over to it. There was a white fence in her way, but it had several gaps in it from the earthquake.

Blossom poked her head through the gap, scanning the area. It appeared to be deserted. She stalked across the grass in front of the house, following the tangy scent. She arrived at a leafy plant, bathed silver in the moonlight.

"Hmm…" she murmured softly. "I wonder if this will be okay for her leg." Blossom's nose told her that there were other herbs nearby, so if this wasn't the right one there were other chances.

"That wouldn't do any good," came a voice from behind her. Blossom spun around, raising her hackles. Her ears flattened to her head as she saw a light ginger tom sitting a few kit-steps away.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Blossom hissed. "For all I know, this could be the right herb. You could be lying."

The ginger tom let out a laugh. "I don't lie. That's mint, no good for broken bones." Blossom let out a faint growl. How did the tom know the she-cat's leg was broken? She didn't want to trust him. But he seemed to know something about herbs.

"Fine," Blossom growled. "What will help her leg?" The ginger tom smiled, and there didn't seem to be any malice in it. His eyes remained clear of any emotion except friendliness and amusement.

"It's not exactly a herb," the tom began, walking over to a bush. He flicked his tail, signalling for her to follow. Reluctantly, Blossom trailed after him, crossing the grass to the opposite side of the garden. He was sitting in front of a bush with large, bright red berries hanging from it.

"What's this?" Blossom asked. Something about the berries didn't look right. Blossom frowned, wondering where she got that from. She didn't know anything about herbs, and that was a weakness. Her mother had only told her that herbs helped.

"It's yew," the tom meowed. "Perfect for broken bones, and really for energy too. They're great when you're feeling tired." He flicked his ears towards the bush, then towards Blossom. She glared at him. He was obviously expecting her to eat them.

_Why would I eat them? They're for Maple. But why should I feed anything to her when I'm not prepared to eat them myself? I suppose I'll try one anyway. _Blossom suddenly realised how tired she was. She nodded to the tom.

The tom reached up with a paw and batted one of the yew berries. It fell to the ground with a slight thud. Blossom frowned at the berry, thinking about how it was the colour of blood.

The tom gave her an encouraging smile. "Go on," he meowed. "I'm sure your friend hasn't got all night." Blossom sighed.

"Fine," she huffed, leaning forwards. She stared at the berry for a moment, before opening her mouth. She was about to grab it in her teeth when something flashed at the edge of her vision.

"No!" A cat barrelled into her, sending her tumbling across the grass. Blossom let out a furious hiss, rising to her paws and turning to face the newcomer. It was a young tom, perhaps eight months old. Blossom spat at him, shaking grass from her pelt.

"What was that for?" Blossom snarled. She could see the ginger cat sitting in the same place as he had been before, with amusement and slight shock in his eyes. The newcomer had a short, black pelt and light green eyes.

"That's yew!" gasped the cat.

Blossom shrugged. "Yeah. So?" She already knew this, and let out a little huff to show it.

The cat frowned. "Yew is poisonous! Every cat knows that! Just one berry could kill you. You'd probably be dead by now."

Blossom stared at him in confusion. Who was telling the truth, the black tom or the ginger tom?

"That's not poisonous! Yew is a great energy boost!" exclaimed the ginger.

The black tom glared at him. "Really? Why don't you try it? You always seem to feed visitors yew, but you never eat it yourself. I've been watching. You kill them, and bury them in a dump across the other side of the city."

Blossom found herself believing the black tom. She stared in shock. Had the ginger tom just tried to kill her? She would definitely be dead by now!

Blossom let out a ferocious hiss, advancing towards the ginger. He flattened his ears, backing away slowly.

"Now, now, there's no need for this. I was just trying to help!" he meowed. His amber eyes stayed calm and steady.

"Don't try and cover up. You tried to murder me!" Blossom snarled, still stalking towards him.

"Let me finish my sentence," the tom meowed, a grin spreading over his face. This grin was full of malevolence. "I was just trying to help, as the city needs fewer cats like you."

Blossom yowled in anger, leaping at him with her claws outstretched. How dare he try to kill her? The tom let out a squeak, trying to dodge her leap, while the black tom watched emotionlessly. Blossom snarled again. She couldn't believe that this tom had tried to kill her, an innocent cat.

The ginger let out a hiss. "I'll be back. You exposed my secret. No cat around here knows enough about herbs to be able to tell what this yew is, except you of course," he snarled at the cat. His amber eyes shone with anger. Then he dashed out of the garden, leaping over high fence without another word.

Blossom turned to the other tom. His eyes reflected the rising sun. "Thank you," Blossom meowed, slightly gruff. She didn't like being in debt to others. "You saved my life, and for that I… I owe you."

The black tom just nodded, seeming embarrassed. "I'm Shadow, just a lonely house cat. I found that the streets were actually more to my liking after the quake, so I decided to stay out here instead of finding another house. Why did you come here?" he meowed, curious.

Blossom sighed. "I found an injured cat, probably around your age." Something flickered in Shadow's eyes. "She had a broken leg, and needed herbs soon. The scent of mint led me here, and the ginger was waiting. He convinced me to try a berry." She shuddered. "If you hadn't been here, I would be among the stars now. Thank you," she sighed.

Shadow dipped his head. "No problem. I guess that's just what I do. I might stop by later, if that's okay. Anyway, here's some comfrey. It's the true herb for broken bones." He flicked his tail to a nearby plant. A bitter scent drifted from it on the cold early morning breeze.

Blossom decided to trust Shadow, even though her hard given trust had just been shattered. She managed to grab a shard of it. _If he wanted me dead, he could have just let the ginger tom kill me, I suppose._

"Alright, I trust you," Blossom meowed, leaning forward. She nipped as many stalks as she could carry from the plant and held them firmly in her mouth.

"Thank you again," Blossom meowed. Her mew was slightly muffled by the bitter leaves in her mouth. "I won't forget this."

"It's okay. I might see you again sometime," Shadow meowed. Fear flashed briefly in his eyes. Blossom frowned, but he had already turned away, heading for the opposite fence.

"Goodbye!" Blossom called, watching him disappear. The sun's fiery light streaked the sky once again, sending hope through Blossom. She could make it through these hard times.

The thought enlightened her as she trotted out onto the street with the comfrey in her mouth, her mission successful.

**I am terribly sorry for the fail pun that is the chapter title. I couldn't decide between Yew, Bright Red Berries and Help Me, so I made a fail mix.**

**-facepalm- Sorry again! I hope you liked this chapter! It's a bit late. :/**


	4. Maple

Blossom pushed through the entrance, frowning. After she got some sleep, she'd have to find something to fix hole with. She glanced over to the young she-cat. She didn't appear to have woken. However, when Blossom walked over to her, she stirred and opened her green eyes. They were a much brighter shade than the leaves of her nest.

"Hello," Blossom meowed gently, placing the herbs on the ground. The she-cat said nothing, watching as Blossom nervously chewed up some of the herbs. The room was lighting up, sun streaming through small holes in the walls.

Blossom leaned down to apply the comfrey to the cat's leg. "What are you doing?" the she-cat asked weakly, sounding worried. Her green eyes were still fixed on Blossom, dull and glazed with pain; and bright green at the same time. Blossom just shook her head, to show she didn't mean any harm. The she-cat didn't say anything more, but appeared nervous.

Blossom spat the herbs onto the she-cat's twisted hind leg, wincing at how sore it looked.

"So what's your name?" Blossom asked shyly, licking the poultice onto her injury. The she-cat smiled weakly.

"You can call me Maple," she meowed. Blossom suddenly remembered her mother telling her about maple trees. They had leaves that turned a golden-brown colour in autumn, falling to the ground. Maple's pelt looked about the colour that Blossom had thought the leaves looked like. She guessed that was where her name came from.

"Well, my name is Blossom," she meowed. "I've lived in the city for all of my two years." Maple tried to nod, but stopped. Blossom guessed it had caused her pain.

"I'm just over seven moons old. I had…" she paused for a moment, briefly closing her eyes. "I _have _a brother. He ran away during the earthquake though." Maple opened her eyes, and Blossom could see that they shone with fear.

Blossom finished applying the poultice and stepped back. "Were you trapped under that stone since the earthquake?" she asked, worried.

Maple shook her head. "No, I was trying to find my brother. But as I walked past the building, something dislodged the stone and it fell on me before I could move."

Blossom lowered her head a bit, before crossing the room to the plant. She pulled a few of the leaves off, calling back,

"That's terrible." She paused. "And I'm really sorry, but I don't think I can save your leg." Blossom was honestly sorry for the young cat, and disappointed that she couldn't save her. There was silence as Blossom walked back with the leaves. As she walked behind the desk, she found Maple staring at her leg with a dull reflection of horror in her eyes.

_Her eyes, _thought Blossom. _They look… familiar. _Blossom thought she had seen them before. But she shook her head as she bound the leaves to Maple's leg, telling herself not to be silly. There was no way she would have seen Maple before.

"That's okay," Maple whispered. She closed her eyes. "I'm tired." Blossom nodded.

"You go back to sleep, then," she meowed gently. "I'll catch some sleep too." Blossom finished binding the leaves; then looked around for another sleeping place. She decided to sleep by the hole, not in plain view, but hidden so that if a cat attacked she could protect Maple.

Blossom curled up by the hole in the wall, making sure she wouldn't be seen by a passing cat. Then she began to reflect on the events of the past few days.

_So, there was an earthquake that pretty much destroyed the city. My best friend was killed, and then I took in an injured she-cat. Since when am I so sociable? I always stick to myself, and although I'm not selfish, I don't let others' issues trouble me. The quake changed something. Something's… different. And I doubt it will ever be the same again. _

-o0o-

Blossom woke with a start. She wasn't sure what had woken her, as her dreams had been dark and empty, her sleep fitful and light. Then her sharp ears picked up a sound. A sound that Blossom hadn't heard since the day of the fateful quake. The sound of human footsteps.

Blossom bristled, leaping to her paws. The humans couldn't be back already. Blossom was still tired; and hungry too. She wouldn't be able to protect Maple from a human in peak condition, let alone now. But since when had she wanted anything to do with another cat?

The steps came closer, thudding against the stone ground. Blossom tensed, taking shelter behind an object. She wasn't sure what it was. She peeked out from behind it, her green eyes scanning the area.

She could see a human walking past outside, making strange noises. Through her alarm, she could tell that they were noises of surprise, sorrow and anger. The human was wearing something bright yellow, reflecting the sun so it hurt Blossom's eyes to look at. She squinted, hoping it wouldn't do any damage.

The human appeared to be male, with not very much 'fur'. He was picking around in the alleyway, obviously hoping that something could be saved.

Blossom felt a pang of sympathy. Even though humans were pretty much their enemies, cats could easily find another home. With humans, however, they obviously had many belongings, and they had to build their houses to suit.

Then the human turned around, giving up. Blossom bit back a yowl as his gaze met hers, locking brown on green. They stood there for what seemed like years. Blossom didn't look away, in case he tried something.

Then the human turned his head, breaking the contact. He stomped off down the alley, leaving Blossom standing in the entrance, surprised and relieved. Blossom shook herself. She turned and walked over to Maple's nest.

The young she-cat was awake, trying to groom her leg. By the way her face held a pained expression; Blossom guessed she couldn't reach without causing herself agony.

"Here, let me," Blossom offered kindly, not wanting the she-cat to be in pain. She liked young cats, and although she was quite young herself; Maple was younger.

Maple nodded her golden-brown head. "Thank you," she meowed. Blossom settled down next to her. As she began to carefully groom her leg, Blossom reflected on the human. What had he been doing in the alley? He didn't seem like he lived there. Lily had predicted that the humans wouldn't come back in a while, enough time to have a full-scale war.

Blossom's thoughts went to the direction of the 'coming war'. She did believe that it would get tense in the city as cats fought for control. But she didn't exactly think that it would start a whole war. And the humans arriving would stop it, right?

"Ouch," Maple meowed, wincing. Her green eyes flashed with pain.

"Sorry, sorry!" Blossom hurriedly apologised, trying to be gentler. "So…" She tried to make conversation as her thoughts had been interrupted. "Were you a house cat before the earthquake?" Blossom hoped this wouldn't be a sensitive topic.

"Oh yes, I was," Maple meowed, nodding vigorously. The action didn't seem to cause her much pain, which was good. Her leg wouldn't heal for quite some time. "I lived in a nice house with my brother. Our human was kind and caring. But…" she trailed off.

Blossom looked at her, waiting for her to finish.

"But I think she died during the quake," Maple whispered. "She was quite an elderly human, and probably wouldn't have survived. I fled with my brother, and now I feel terrible. I can't go back and see if she's okay with this leg." Now her green eyes were shining with sadness.

"I'm sorry," meowed Blossom; and she truly did feel sorry. "It sounds like you've had a horrific time lately."

Maple just nodded, watching as Blossom rose to her paws. "I'll go and catch us something to eat," she meowed cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

Maple seemed to brighten, she nodded. "That would be great. I'm starving!" she purred. Then she stopped, giving a little cough. Seeing Blossom's look of worry, she hastily said,

"I'm alright. Just a fur-ball in my throat, is all." But she looked slightly pained.

"Okay," Blossom meowed, pretending to go along with it. "I'll see you later then!" Maple nodded cheerfully; then rested her head back down in her nest.

-o0o-

Blossom arrived back at the alley with two plump mice in her jaws. The earthquake had shifted the buildings, obviously, making the mice emerge. When Blossom entered the 'office', she was reminded yet again of the ease that anyone could enter with. She decided she would fix that in a moment, after eating.

"Here you go," Blossom meowed happily, dropping one of the mice in front of Maple. "Are you okay to eat that?" she asked.

Maple didn't appear to be as pain-free as before, her eyes dull and ears slightly flattened. But she nodded anyway, replying with a 'Sure'. Slowly, she started to nibble on the mouse. Blossom sat down next to her and ravenously bit into the second mouse.

Blossom finished hers in what seemed like seconds. "Good?" she asked Maple. The young cat just nodded, closing her eyes.

"I've had enough for now," she whispered.

Blossom felt a pang of worry. "Alright, well, I'm going fix the entrance," she meowed. "I'll be around, so if you need me, just call out." Maple didn't nod this time, only twitching her tail to show that she had heard. Her eyes were squeezed shut in pain and her broken leg was splayed out behind her. The dim room couldn't hide the pain she was in.

Blossom swallowed nervously and trotted over to the entrance. Perhaps she could find something like a plank of wood, or a piece of wall that feel down during the quake. That would work, she decided. Her gaze darted to the far side of the room, where 'sheets' of the wall had fallen off in chunks. Not wanting to wake Maple, she made her way across the room.

As she reached the wall, she realised that the pieces would likely be quite heavy. If they were heavy, a cat wouldn't be able to break through; but Blossom wouldn't be able to lift them. If they were light, they would be easy to break through; and Blossom could lift them. There was only one way to find out what they were like, and Blossom intended to do it.

She chose a medium-sized piece on the ground a little way from her, and walked over to it. She slowly shuffled underneath it, and tried to balance it on her shoulders. It was too heavy for that. Blossom would have to find another way.

She found a spot where she would be able to grab the piece with her teeth. She sunk her teeth in and tried as hard as she could to pull the piece over to the entrance. Slowly but surely, Blossom reached the hole in the wall. She lifted her head as high as she could, and attempted to prop the piece against the hole, creating a barrier. There was still a large area of the hole left, so she repeated the process twice, panting with the effort.

Finally, she finished blocking the hole, leaving only a small gap to squeeze out of. At night time, she could block the gap with something else. No cat would be able to barge through there without hurting themselves. Blossom sighed in relief at finishing, and also at now having a protected space. The sun was setting once more, leaving the room quite dark.

Blossom spotted a chunk of wall and nosed it over to the gap, blocking the last big shards of light. There was now only a small amount in the room, but cats could see quite well in the night.

Fatigue from the events of the last few days began to overwhelm her, and she sighed. She lay down in her nest next to Maple, then fell soundly asleep.

* * *

**AN: So sorry for the wait and the plainness of this. D:**

**Please review,**

**-Issy**


	5. Battle Cries

_A familiar brown shape had appeared in front of her, his pelt glowing with starlight. It took a moment for Blossom to recognise who it was. He looked so much sadder than usual._

"_Patch," she breathed. "Patch, it's really you!" She raced forwards, excitement flooding through her, along with the familiar pang of sadness. _

"_Yes, Bloss, it's really me," he whispered, resting his muzzle on top of her head. She licked his chest fur, breathing in his scent. That scent had stayed with her all through her childhood. _

"_But you're dead," she meowed, confused. She was standing in a sparkling meadow, with brightly coloured flowers sprinkled throughout the grass. The sun looked like it was on the point of rising, and the moon had just set. _

"_I am." His meow was laced with sadness. Blossom pulled away and looked into his sparkling green eyes. "I didn't want to leave you all alone… But I had to. And now you have a friend."_

_Blossom could see through the smile that he spread across his face. He looked so sad underneath it. _

"_But I could never forget you, Patch…" She gave him another lick. "It's terrible, how I never realised how much I needed you until you died! I hate myself now," she whispered._

_Patch looked alarmed. The white patch around his eye shone in the rising sun. "Don't feel bad, Bloss," he meowed. "Nothing you could have done would have stopped what happened."_

"_But that's not what I mean," Blossom sighed. "I just…" She looked up, seeing a ball of orange fire appear on the horizon. "Where are we?"_

_Patch looked thoughtful. "This is where we go when we pass away. It's among the stars, I know that. And not every cat comes here. I've seen a few around. Different cats go to different ancestors, I guess." He shrugged._

"_How are you visiting me?" she asked, slightly awed. _

"_It's in your dreams. Hard to explain…" he meowed. _

"_Oh…" She sighed. "I miss you Patch. A lot," Blossom whispered. "Even though I have Maple now, nothing could ever replace you." The sky glowed with rosy pink colours._

_Patch said nothing, but Blossom could still sense the sadness that lingered around him. "I visited you for a reason," he began._

"_Oh?" Blossom meowed, curious, yet disappointed that he didn't just visit her because he wanted. _

"_You may have already heard this, but… there's a war coming."_

_Blossom nodded; slightly irritated. That was all he had to tell her? _

"_I know you think it's unimportant, but it actually is. Many cats are going to get hurt," Patch whispered, gazing down at her with a serious light in bright green eyes. "Just… take care, for me?"_

_Blossom nodded, confused as always. _

"_It's time for you to go, Bloss."_

_Blossom sighed. She knew this was coming, but she hadn't wanted to think about it. "Alright," she meowed uncertainly. See you again?" It sounded like a question. _

_Patch nodded. "Of course you will." The dream started to fade around her, and she smiled at him. Patch smiled back, the same happy smile he once had. _

_As the dream shattered into glass shards, Blossom whispered,_

"_I love you." _

-o0o-

Blossom woke with a start. "I didn't say that?" There was another sentence that sounded like a question. "But I don't love Patch," she murmured. "And there's a war coming." Sometimes, voicing her troubles and concerns to herself made Blossom feel better. In this case, it most certainly did. "I don't love Patch. And he's dead, too." Her stomach growled with hunger.

She rose to her paws, deciding to go hunting at the nearby dump. The dilapidated pile of trash would almost definitely hold some plump mice, even though it was still night time. Blossom gave her cream-and-grey pelt a few licks; then turned to Maple. She was surprised to find the young she-cat awake and staring.

Blossom flushed underneath her fur. How much did Maple hear? But the she-cat seemed blissfully unaware of anything Blossom said. Blossom gave a mental sigh of relief.

"Does your leg hurt?" Blossom inquired, gazing down at Maple's twisted leg. The light brown tabby shrugged; then winced slightly.

"Oh, just a little bit." She didn't fool Blossom.

"Well, after I go hunting I'll look for some herbs," Blossom replied. Since when did she trust others so much? Why did she even trust Maple? Patch had seemed okay with it though.

"Oh good, you're going hunting! I'm starving." To emphasize her point, Maple's stomach gave a loud rumble.

Blossom let out a weak purr. "Well, stay right here and don't go anywhere."

Maple nudged her leg playfully. "Do you really think I'd get out the door?" she joked. Blossom shook her head, amused.

"See you," she meowed, trotting over to the 'door'. She nosed her way through the tiny gap and out onto the warm street. The sun was shining, but there were dark clouds looming in the distance. A breeze _whooshed_ through gaps in the buildings, giving an eerie aura to the city. She swallowed nervously. Blossom had always hated storms. She set off down the street, heading for the dump.

-o0o-

As she crept down the slight slope towards the pile of trash, Blossom kept her ears pricked for the sounds of cats. She was unsure, as always, of what she would do if she ran into another cat. She located a nice bush to scan the area from behind, trotting over and settling down.

Then her ears swivelled towards a noise, a deep rumbling growl. If she laid four trees, not scrawny city trees, but wild forest trees, end to end, the noise would be at the furthest end of the trees.

Another noise came, this time a soft murmur. Blossom had to strain her ears to try and make out what it was saying.

"… Doesn't have to be a … You know, of all cats…" The voice was rising. "… No, just-" The pleading tone was cut off by a loud shriek, and then the sounds of fighting cats exploded from in front of the bush.

Blossom nearly jumped back and fled in alarm. There were cats fighting! Maybe what Patch had said about a war was… _true. _Blossom refused to admit it, silently stalking out from behind the bush. There was a writhing mass of cats, probably two dozen. There seemed to be around a dozen fighting for each side, and one side had malicious grins on their faces. And the fighting cats seemed similar colours for their sides, for example, the malicious side were all dark colours, except for the huge golden tom that seemed to be their leader.

_Their leader… _Blossom was distracted from her thoughts. They had a leader? This worried her, but it was undoubtedly obvious now, in the way he flicked his tail and fought with the confidence of an ancient beast cat, the ones her mother had told her about.

But she turned her attention back towards their colours; seemingly the 'good' side were lighter colours. Blossom glanced quickly down at her pelt, assured that she would be on the good side. But maybe that was just a coincidence. _Of course, _Blossom thought. _Stop being silly and scaring yourself like a kit. _

And then she glanced over the light cats, trying to find their leader. At first, it didn't seem obvious, like the leader didn't want to be in charge. But then she saw a familiar white pelt flash in the battling cats, stained with crimson blood. It was Lily.

Blossom let out a small gasp, only to shove her tail inside her mouth. She choked a little; then stifled a laugh of amusement. Blossom didn't laugh, especially not when she was close to a raging battle. She turned her thoughts back towards the fight. The cats seemed to be slowing, not as vicious, as the battle raged on.

Blossom frowned at Lily. Maybe she was the voice Blossom had heard just before the battle. Of course, she must have tried to stop it. Lily broke out of the fight, standing on the edge of the battle with her sides heaving for air. Her golden eyes glinted.

"That's enough! There is no point in this, the dump should be free for all to use. If you want a war, Blade, you've got one. But no one likes it," Lily yowled at the golden tom. Blossom was surprised. What was a 'blade'? It sounded… dangerous.

"Fine, coward. But you'll have a war alright. And it will be on your paws," the golden tom spat, his amber eyes flashing in anger. "Let's go." He violently flicked his tail, and the dark-pelted cats streamed out after him, melting into the darkness of the ruined city.

Lily flicked her tail, gentler than Blade had. The rest of the cats followed her, going in the opposite direction to Blade and his gang. With a sigh of relief that the fighting was over, Blossom turned to leave and find somewhere else to hunt. She dislodged a pebble that went skittering down the rest of the rocky slope. She froze, alarmed, as one of Lily's followers paused, then turned around slowly. They fixed Blossom with a golden gaze, and held it for what seemed like moons.

Then it turned its head and disappeared after Lily. Blossom shivered, knowing that if she was caught by the bad side, they would have chased after her.

Then she sighed, knowing that the fighting cats would have scared away any prey for a while. As if sent from the stars, a plump mouse scurried right past Blossom's paws. She quickly pounced on the mouse and killed it with a blow. She sat up with it dangling from her mouth in slight amazement. That had been lucky.

As Blossom turned towards the alley, she saw the sun rising, sending the sky into swirling colours of pink, orange and dark blue. With a sigh, she padded towards the sunrise, heading back home. As she did, Blade's words echoed in her head.

_You'll have a war alright._

-o0o-

Blossom paused outside the entrance, watching as the sunrise spread its colours over the rooftops. It truly was a beautiful morning, but seemed like it was mocking the fact that the city had been ruined. At least, that was what it felt like to Blossom. She had taken the time to think as she picked some herbs from the garden nearby. But there was a more pressing matter on the young cat's mind, and that was Maple.

Should she tell Maple about the possibility of a war? It would just worry the little she-cat unnecessarily, and she might feel trapped inside the office, not being able to move around. Blossom sighed. She would tell Maple; but not right now, when the time was right.

Blossom let a small smile of satisfaction spread across her face. She found it hard to make decisions, and often had to rely on someone else to help her. In her lonely city life, only her mother and Patch had been there for her. And now she was making them by herself; the earthquake really had changed everything, whether it was a huge amount or the tiniest difference.

Blossom turned her gaze to the sunrise once more; the sky was lightening and the stars had all but disappeared. She was safe for another night. Then she turned and pushed her way through the entrance with the mouse and a few leaves in clamped tightly in her jaws.

Maple was asleep in her nest, her sides rising and falling slightly unsteadily. She must still be in a fair bit of pain. Blossom began to worry. It hadn't been long since she rescued Maple, but it really seemed like she was rapidly getting better. Then Blossom realised it must have been a bravado. She sighed, padding over.

Maple stayed asleep until Blossom was standing right next to her. She placed the mouse and the herbs on the floor. Just as Blossom reached out to tap the she-cat with her paw, her eyes snapped open.

"Hello," Blossom meowed nervously. Maple said nothing, closing her eyes again. But she had seen pain, strong in their emerald depths. Blossom assumed that Maple was okay with her putting herbs on her leg, so she set to work, chewing them up.

The room had lightened considerably since Blossom had left, and now she guessed that the sun had fully risen. A silence hung over the room, cloaking everything in a sort of mystical veil. The silence was almost deafening, Blossom mused.

"I had a dream about a brown cat," Maple croaked suddenly. Blossom nearly spat out the herbs in surprise. Maple had scared her, and was this brown cat the same one that Blossom had dreamt of? Quickly, she dropped the poultice on Maple's leg and began to smooth it out.

"A… what?" she meowed, pretending to be confused. But Blossom had a good guess as to who the cat was.

"I had a dream about a brown cat," Maple repeated slowly. Her eyes were still closed. "He had a white patch around his right eye." That confirmed it. But why was Patch visiting Maple?

"What was his name? Did he say?" Blossom asked, although she already knew.

"He said it was… Spot or something like that? I'm not sure," she meowed.

"Was it… Patch?" Blossom whispered. In her heart, she already knew the answer.

Maple's eyes snapped open in surprise. "How do you know that?" she asked warily, scanning Blossom with narrowed eyes.

"Because… well one, he visited me last night. Two, he died in the earthquake, and he was my childhood friend," Blossom whispered, her heart filling with pain at the thought of her friend.

"That's horrible!" Maple exclaimed weakly. She closed her eyes again. "He said to me, 'Tell Blossom that she has to let you know about the war'."

Blossom froze. This changed everything. "Um…" was all she managed to say.

"Is there going to be a war, Blossom?" Maple asked quietly. Blossom still didn't manage to say anything. After a brief pause, she meowed,

"Um… yes." Maple kept her eyes shut, in fact, she squeezed them tighter. "When I was out hunting, I saw two groups of cats fighting. One of the leaders yowled to call off the fight, meowing, 'If you want a war, you can have one. But no one likes it'. Then the other said, 'Fine. But you'll have a war alright, and it will be on your paws.'" Blossom whispered.

Maple didn't say anything.

"The strange thing I noticed was that the 'bad' side had dark pelts, whereas the 'good' side had light pelts." Blossom was puzzled. Surely the sides recruited on size, speed and how 'evil' the cats were, not their pelt colours? There was something off about this, like when a mouse was rotting inside, but looked perfectly fine on the outside.

"Well…" Maple meowed.

Blossom interrupted firmly. "There's nothing any cat can do about it. We just have to wait, and we can't let this war destroy us."

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the long wait.**

**Please review! :O**

**-Issy**


	6. Shades of Good and Evil

Blossom was wide awake, even though the moon had reached its highest point in the star-speckled sky. She was peering outside through one of the office's windows. Her cream-and-grey fur was gleaming slightly in the cold moonlight. Blossom let out the smallest of sighs, watching the darkness on the other side of the crumbled street.

Blossom froze as she saw a group of shadows move along the opposite side of the street. She quickly ducked behind what humans called a 'blind' - according to her mother - and slowly leaned out again, heart pounding.

One shadow seemed lighter than all the rest. It also seemed to be the leader, moving in front of the group. They were now moving directly opposite Blossom's window. She let out a sigh, hoping that they would move on. But she didn't let her guard down, watching them intently. It soon became obvious that they were cats, but what they were doing wasn't as easy to detect.

The group continued along the street. Blossom finally let her guard down and moved back to her earlier position by the window. The office was dark and welcoming behind her, providing comfort and a place to hide. Moonlight glinted outside on shards of broken glass scattered across the street.

Then the leader of the group whipped around and fixed Blossom with a penetrating stare. The cat's eyes flashed in the darkness, and Blossom immediately recognised the cat. It was Blade.

Blossom froze, panicking at the thought of Blade running across the street, coming for her, slipping through the door… She stuffed her tail in her mouth to stop her cry of fear that Blade's gaze could ignite in her. And indeed, there was pure malice in that amber gaze, malice that would lead to a full-on war. Blossom was sure of it.

She held Blade's gaze for a moment longer; then crouched on the hard ground, out of sight from prying eyes. She waited for several thudding heartbeats then slowly rose up and peered out of the window again.

There was nothing left of Blade's group. No flashing eyes, no dark shadows, nothing. Blossom heaved a loud sigh of relief and crossed the room, heading for Maple. Her pawsteps thudded against the carpet loudly. She tried walking more quietly, carefully and delicately placing her paws on the ground. She smiled to herself as the sound was only a mere whisper.

Blossom peered over Maple. Satisfied that the young she-cat was doing okay, Blossom turned back around, facing the door. She nearly collapsed in fear, fur fluffing up at what she saw. There was a cat standing in the doorway, staring right at Blossom.

Blossom's first reaction was to run. But even through her haze of fear, she knew there was nowhere to go. By living in the office, she had trapped herself in a dead-end, although that was one of her worst nightmares - being cornered by an enemy. That left option two - fight.

Swallowing her fear, Blossom unsheathed her claws, making sure they didn't catch in the soft carpet. Then she closed her eyes and blindly leaped at the cat.

Her paws hit soft fur with a thump and Blossom cursed herself for having her eyes shut. She was a fighter, she wouldn't run away. Panicked, Blossom quickly opened her eyes and found - to her absolute surprise - herself staring into Lily's face.

Blossom gasped and leaped off the white cat's back. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. Lily just looked at her calmly.

"I came to visit you, of course," she replied nonchalantly. All of Blossom's fear vanished like snow melting away on a warm afternoon.

"I also wanted to see how the she-cat was doing." Blossom knew that this wasn't the only reason. With a war rising, Lily wouldn't waste her time visiting her.

Blossom didn't mention this right away. "Maple's over this way," she instructed, wary of showing Lily around her home.

Lily just nodded and followed Blossom, her paws making no more than a soft brush against the carpet. In comparison, Blossom felt big and clumsy. She led the way to Maple's nest, however, ignoring the thuds of her paws.

Blossom gazed down. Maple was sleeping soundly, her sides rising and falling evenly. Blossom felt warmth at knowing she would be okay. For a moment Blossom debated letting Maple sleep. She shook her head then reached out with a paw. Lily was still standing next to her. Blossom poked Maple gently in the side, making sure to steer clear of her injured leg.

Maple's eyes opened instantly, flashing in the darkness. "Wha… who's there? What's going on?" she meowed worriedly.

Blossom comforted her instantly. "Relax, it's just a visitor. This is Lily," she meowed, indicating the white cat with her tail, "And she's the other cat that helped me save you."

The panic in Maple's eyes faded to a glow of respect and awe. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Lily let out a purr.

"It was nothing," she dismissed, waving her tail nonchalantly. "Any cat would have done it." But at this her eyes flickered with doubt. She blinked, and they returned to their normal golden pools. "It's great to see that you're okay now."

Blossom nodded, feigning a look of encouragement. She knew Maple would get better, but she was unsure that she was entirely okay.

"I need to talk to you, Blossom," Lily continued. Blossom paused for a moment to reflect on how their names were both flowers. She had never thought of that before. Snapping back to the present, she replied,

"Sure. How about we go over there?" Blossom used a grey paw to point at a corner of the office. Hopefully it would be too far away for Maple to eavesdrop. Blossom turned back to the young cat but she had closed her eyes.

"Thank you," was all she said. Lily nodded kindly then trotted over to the corner dim corner. She turned and faced Blossom. Swallowing hard, Blossom padded across the floor to the white cat. She wondered what Lily wanted to talk to her about so badly.

"So… I know you've heard that there might be a war," Lily began. "I encountered a tom the other day…"

"His name was Blade," Blossom finished, amused at Lily's confused expression.

"How did you know that?" she asked, sounding puzzled. Maple's soft breathing travelled across the room.

"Oh, let's just say I was going to hunt at the dump yesterday night when I heard some… cats fighting." Blossom smirked as Lily flashed a glance at her. "And, well, I heard you and Blade declare war." Lily nodded slowly.

"That saves me a lot of explaining, I guess." Lily shrugged. "And did you notice anything about the sides?"

Blossom frowned. Then it hit her. "Their pelt colours… the 'good' side was lighter, while the 'bad' side was darker," she replied. Now it was her turn to be puzzled. "I don't know how that's possible."

Lily just nodded. "I know… we were so surprised. A black she-cat joined our ranks this morning, and just before I left, her pelt was a light shade of grey." She shook her head. "Something's at work here… something bigger than all of us."

Blossom didn't say anything. She was mystified by the 'force' that was doing this to cats. Blossom wasn't concentrating when Lily asked her a question. "Hm… can you repeat that?"

"I said," Lily meowed impatiently, "We don't have enough sides. I'm the leader… and we need more cats, Blossom. I've heard from a few that you are quite a skilled fighter." She purred with amusement. "And none of them want to face you again… even that grey tabby who encountered you during the earthquake was terrified."

Blossom allowed herself a small purr. "I suppose I am an okay fighter," she mused. Then the weight of the decision she had to make hit her, weighing her down like the stone Maple had been trapped under.

"But- you can't expect me to decide right now! I just want to keep to myself! I don't want to be involved in some war; I just want to _live by myself, _with _only myself _to look after, and _not have to worry about anyone else but myself!" _she wailed. Blossom could feel herself cracking; she was worried she would break into tearless sobbing. It had all been so hard…

She had felt so selfish when she said that. After all, what kind of cat only looked after themselves? Blossom hung her head, glancing out the corner of her eye at Lily.

The white she-cat blinked slowly. "Okay, if you want some more time to think, that's absolutely fine!" she meowed hurriedly. "Don't think in any way that we're forcing you to join!" There was sweetness to her voice that made Blossom think that they _would _force her to join.

"Please… just give me a few days, okay?" she begged. Right now, she couldn't think. She was tired, worried and slightly depressed. There was no way she would be able to make a certain decision.

"Oh, alright," Lily meowed. "Just for you, I suppose. But please… just don't think we're evil; we're not. Our side is just desperate for cats, desperate to win this war. We can't let the bad side take over… especially not with Blade in control."

Blossom only nodded tiredly. "So… you're coming back in two nights?" she asked nervously. Already a knot of worry had settled deep inside her stomach.

Lily dipped her head. "Yes, I will. Maybe in the morning…" The sky was lightening outside and Blossom realised she hadn't slept for most of the night. "Please make your decision by then…" Desperation flashed in Lily's eyes. "Please..." She finished in a whisper.

"O-okay, I will. I… I promise," Blossom meowed. She hated making promises, as she was never sure she could hold them, keep them safe. Swallowing, she flicked her tail to make it clear Lily should go. Lily nodded, understanding the message.

"Until we meet again," she purred with slight amusement.

"Until we meet again," Blossom responded, pushing down her worry. She still had two days to make her decision. If an earthquake could destroy a city in a matter of hours, she could make a decision in two days. She could, right?

Blossom watched Lily squeeze out of the door and into the night beyond. With a sigh, Blossom made her way over to her leafy nest, flopping down in it exhaustedly. The smooth green leaves felt cool and soft against her fur.

Closing her eyes, Blossom let the comforting blackness of sleep claim her. Her haunting worries could wait…

* * *

**Ugh... sorry for the long wait. I've had _sooo _many tests lately it's not funny. Hopefully I update sooner next time, and it should be a bit longer. :)**

**-Issy**


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